A Letting Go

Chapter 8: The Folder

In the dark of the early morning, the shrill sound of the ringing phone split the darkness. Spy pressed his eyes shut, bitterly asking himself why he'd put a phone right beside his bed.

He sat up, though, glancing towards the phone. Wondering if it was Jeremy calling him, he reached over and answered.

"Hello?"

The voice that responded, though, wasn't Jeremy's. "Have I reached the Spy?"

It was a woman. Spy's brow furrowed.

"Who wants to know?" He asked after a moment.

"My name's not important," she went on. "I'm just someone who needs a favor from you. It's very important."

Spy pinched the bridge of his nose, drawing in a breath. "Well, I don't know who directed you to me, but you should know that I don't really do 'favors' anymore. I especially don't do favors for those who call me at..." he squinted at the clock on the wall. "Six in the morning."

The woman just laughed. "Oh, so sorry. I just wanted to know if you were available to meet today. I promise, if you do this for me, the payment will be nothing to sneeze at."

Spy bit back his irritation. "Fine," he said after a moment. "Where would you like to meet?"

"The Electric Grotto — do you know where that is?"

"Electric Grotto...yes, I do," Spy nodded, fishing around for a pen on his nightstand so he could take a note. "Today?"

"Today," the woman affirmed. "Meet me in the VIP lounge, ask for 'Siren'. I promise, I pay very well."

Once Spy had scribbled a few notes for himself, he replied, "Electric Grotto, VIP lounge, Siren...all right. I will see you there."

Once the woman had hung up, Spy lay in bed for a moment, processing what had just happened. He had no idea who this woman was, and he hadn't done a job like this in ages. He had only a name and a location to work with, and he figured he should at least attempt to research this "Siren". In any case, he knew he had to be prepared for anything, so —

The phone ringing again jolted him out of his thoughts. Growling, Spy reached over and grabbed the phone again. "What?"

This time, though, it was Dell. "Hey, Spy! I didn't wake you, did I?"

Spy rubbed his temples. "No...I was already awake. What is it? Is something wrong?"

Dell sucked in a breath. "Well, uh...sorta. You see: it's about Flo..."

Spy's eyes snapped open wider, sensing something was the matter. "What? What about her? Is she all right?"

"I think so," Dell assured. "But, uh...I just wanted to know if you were down for meeting up with myself, Pyro and Flo for dinner tonight. I was thinkin' we could go to Parker's, I know it ain't exactly a fancy place, but you know Pyro loves their hot wings!"

"Oh," Spy's shoulders relaxed. He supposed he could meet Siren, and then go out to dinner. It was doable...depending on how things went at the Grotto.

"That sounds lovely," Spy decided. He paused, though, his brow furrowing. "But...why did you call me so early to ask me to dinner?" His voice dropped lower. "Is there something going on?"

Dell's voice faltered. Finally, he admitted, "...yeah. Actually, there's a guest joining us."

"And who is it?"

Dell swallowed a little. "It's Helen. She's alive, Spy."

Spy sat there in silence, hand gripping the phone. He soon found words. "No. What? Why? How...?"